ᴀ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅɪꜱᴇ | 𝘓𝘰𝘶 𝘹 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦

nine

Ａ  ＮＩＧＨＴ ＩＮ  ＰＡＲＡＤＩＳＥ

Wᴇᴅɴᴇsᴅᴀʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ was a tumultuous affair for Lou Miller. She had been embroiled in an endless stream of paperwork for the past few months. The thought of abandoning her plans, staying put in Australia, and seeking out a school of her choice crossed her mind. She yearned for a simpler life, but Lou had always known that she was never one to shy away from hard work. It was never a matter of her family's wealth and status that made her resistant to attending college. Lou had always harbored a desire to earn her own keep and create a legacy that wasn't merely associated with her parents' reputation.

Los Angeles was a city that piqued her interest. It offered an escape from the clutches of her parents, and the idea of chasing the Hollywood dream seemed almost too alluring to ignore. Besides, Tammy had already set up camp in the city of angels, and Lou couldn't imagine being anywhere else. It might seem cliché, but the allure of Tinseltown was too strong to resist.

5:39 a.m.

Thursday arrived like a fleeting moment, barely noticeable.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬.

𝙰𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 (𝙸𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚜 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚜) 𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝟸, 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟸, 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚆𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙰𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟸.

The headline that caught Lou's attention stated that the Argentine troops had seized the Falkland Islands, which immediately ignited the flames of war with Britain. Lou read the article. The frown that formed on her forehead was a mix of curiosity and concern, as the conflict had already claimed lives and caused massive destruction. She bit her tongue, intrigued by the news.

As she flipped the pages, Lou reflected on the gravity of the situation. The Falkland Islands had long been a contentious issue between Argentina and Britain, but now the matter has escalated into a full-blown military conflict. News like this is what keeps her buying the newspapers that are circulating around the town.

She stopped thinking about the news when the pilot finally made the announcement that, within 30 minutes, they would arrive at their destination. As the plane descended towards the airport, Lou gazed out the window at the sprawling city of Los Angeles beneath her. The endless stretch of roads and buildings seemed to go on forever, a sight that both fascinated and overwhelmed her. As they landed, the plane's wheels screeched against the tarmac. This was her first time in Los Angeles, and the moment seemed to both excite and scare her. For one, she was leaving her old life behind and moving to a new city, a new environment, and a new adventure. She knew that she was going to be living her own life now, without her parents, although technically not alone, as she was going to be staying with Tammy and Tammy's friend, whom she had heard so much about. But despite the comfort of having friends to stay with, Lou couldn't help but feel a sense of fright. Pacing in thoughts clouding her mind — whether this is the right thing; more, can she stand to this decision? After all, she was only 17, and flying to Los Angeles was such a big step. Although in a few months, she'll be turning 18, the thought of being finally independent frightened her. She had always been used to relying on her parents for everything, but now she would have to learn to navigate the world on her own.